Senator CAMPBELL (Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer)(6.31 p.m.) —It takes a big man to admit that, Senator Cooney, and to say that he is pre pared to admit that he might have made a mistake and will have a look at it.

The coalition would quite genuinely like to see this matter referred. We will support a referral of this matter to a committee, and we have said we will favourably look at any recommendations of a committee on this matter.

Can I say that they are maximum penalties—and I think you do know that. They are not imposed by some rampant chairman running around trying to lock people up. They are matters that are decided by a court, just as, I suppose, when you are fined for not attending a federal election a court can decide to gaol you. And they often do gaol Australians for not turning up to get their name ticked off. So it fits in that category.

We believe that imposing a fine of something like $250 on a corporation like News Corp or Southcorp or some other body would be, for them, like flicking off a mosquito. It is not a penalty. But we do believe that the penalty issue should be looked at and it is an appropriate use of a Senate committee to do that. We think there is no reason why, in the meantime, we should not move the Industry Commission penalty regime into the Productivity Commission, and then you can refer it off to a Senate committee tomorrow if you want to. Give notice right now, refer it off tomorrow and come back to us in a few weeks time with a recommendation. It is on the record that we will look favourably at recommendations to change the penalty regime.